Top Floors
by hayhaymellark
Summary: Katniss and Peeta are dating, but when something horrible goes wrong at work, will Peeta be able to save her?


**A/N: Hey y'all! I know, I know, I'm still not done with High School Life, but I really had to write this one down. In this fanfic, Peeta is 28, Katniss is 27 and they've been dating for 4 years, but have known each other for 6. Katniss works for the National Parks Conservation Association which exists, but the building mentioned in the story probably does not.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or its characters. It all belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

 **Katniss POV**

I'm walking back to my desk after delivering the paperwork needed for our new building in New York when I first notice something off. I only catch a whiff of it, but it smells like sulfur. I stop for a moment and sniff the air once again. When I don't smell it anymore, I dismiss the thought. Our building is, after all, in the middle of a wooded area in Maine. There are probably some campers around or something.

I move back to my desk. When I sit down, I immediately reach for my next piece of paperwork, but find my desk clear. Huh, guess I finished it all off.

I get up and walk to the large floor to ceiling windows. My workspace is up on the tenth floor, the top one, and the view of the area below was absolutely breathtaking. I stare down and the beautiful woods below me. The ones I work so hard everyday to protect and just think for a little bit.

Only when I'm starting to sweat do I realize how hot it's starting to get. Being the supervisor of our division and the having the privilege of doing do, I walk over to the AC panel to turn it up. When I get there, i reach for the controls only to realize that the AC is already turned all the way up.

 _But it can't be, it's way too hot in here. Maybe the damn thing is broken._ I had resolved to calling Thom, our repairman when suddenly an alarm is sounding off. I cover my ears and wince at the shrill noise as I turn to look at the wall. My gaze is met by a red flashing light. _The fire alarm._

That was what the smell from earlier. Everyone is up from their seats and hurrying out the door that led to the stairs. We aren't supposed to use the elevator during a fire. I get up and check quickly to make sure no one is left behind before heading towards the stairway myself.

When I get there, the hallway is completely congested, everything moving incredibly slow due to the enormous amount of people trying to get to safety.

We are just moving down past the seventh floor when we hear a crash coming from the building. Looking through the window of the door, I see that the fire has spread quickly and is weakening the structure of the building. The crash we heard was a cross bar that fell from the ceiling.

My eyes widen, alarmed at how quickly the fire is consuming our building, how much danger we'll be in if we take too long.

"Alright everyone," I yell loudly, "move quickly, the fire's spreading quick." It kicks everyone's urgency up a notch and soon, we're all bustling through the hallway. We're moving quick, but the fire's just a bit quicker. Soon, heavy smoke is permeating the air. The staircase is filled with the sound of coughs as everyone breathes in too much of it.

I, myself, soon break into a coughing fit. Unfortunately, I get pushed to the side in my attempts to regain my breath. My lungs just refuse to stop and I continue coughing violently as everyone hurries past me. No one has noticed me due to their own panic.

I start to move again, but am slow do to the still present smoke and the fogginess in my head due to the amounts of sulfur I have breathed in. Only when the walls near me begin to grow hot do I realize just how close the fire has gotten.

I'm beginning to get nauseous, so when I try to run, the room spins and I collapse within seconds. As I lay in a crumpled ball on the floor, I look up at the ceiling. The walls have already been overtaken by flames and it was now spreading to the ceiling above my head. Dust begins to fall from the ceiling and I close my eyes to keep it from getting into my eyes.

The ceiling isn't going to hold up much longer. I have to get out of here. I roll over onto my stomach and begin crawling. I'm coughing and my arms and legs are shaking, but at least I'm moving. Or at least until I start coughing.

Once I start, I can't stop and I collapse once again to the floor. My violent coughing overtakes my entire consciousness. I don't hear anything, see anything, and I definitely don't notice the crossbar starting to crack above me.

I try to drag myself along the floor, but am failing miserably. _This is it._ I stop moving and turn on my back. _I'm sorry, Peeta. I love you so much._ _I'm going to die here._ And I guess the universe agrees with me because, seconds later, the cross bar and ceiling come crashing down in pieces.

 **Peeta POV**

I'm at the station playing cards with Finnick when the alarm rings out. Everyone gets up quickly to grab our stuff and head out. Suddenly, though, Chief Boggs rushes in and calls our attention.

"Alright, everyone, listen up! This is a huge fire and the building is close to a wooded area. We need everyone on this and we gotta hurry. The location is 259 Arena Lane. Let's move!" He orders. _Arena Lane...why does that sound so familiar._

Finnick stops in his tracks. "Peet," he grabs my arm, "that's the NPCA building.

"Katniss." My heart stops. "Oh god." I grab my coat and sprint out to the fire truck waiting for us. "Let's go!"

We get to the burning building and my eyes widen at the enormity of the fire. Boggs wasn't exaggerating. I get out of the truck quickly and rush out towards the giant crowd of people. Ambulances are all around bandaging cuts and burns, but no one seems to be hurt too badly.

I run through the crowd, looking for my girlfriend. "Katniss!" I scream her name desperately. "Katniss!" She doesn't respond.

"You're Peeta, Katniss' boyfriend?" I turn to see a small woman with auburn hair. She has soot covering her face and a cut on her arm, but otherwise seems fine.

"Yes, yes I am." I grab her good arm gently. "Please, where is she?"

Her eyes suddenly go downcast, a sorrowful look on her face.

My heart drops to my stomach. "No." I whisper, my voice shaking. "Please, no."

"Peeta, no one's seen her in a while." The woman's already timid voice went even quieter. "Some people think she might still be in the building."

A tear drips down my face. "Has anyone gone in to check?"

She shakes her head. "None of the other emergency services are equipped to get in. They said the entire entryway is basically a wall of fire. To try and get through that without the firefighter's equipment...it would be suicide." That's all I need to hear.

"Alright!" I shout at the rest of the firefighter's. "Let's go! Move quickly! They suspect that there is still a civilian inside of the building, but the bottom floor is consumed. We have to work carefully as to not cause a collapse of the structure."

The firefighters move to start extinguishing the fire, while I go to get suited up in all of my gear, preparing to go in as soon as I can.

"Peeta?" I turn to see my best friend. He sounds concerned. "What's going on?"

I'm silent for a moment. Then I speak quietly. "They think Katniss is inside, Finnick." He looks at me sympathetically. Then, without a word, grabs his own gear, and gets ready to go in with me. I nod at him, thankful that my best friend always has my back.

Two other men come into the building with Finn and I. We move stealthily, making sure not to trigger any collapses.

"Come on, Kat." I mutter. "Where are you, where are you, baby?" We make it up to the higher levels, on the lookout for every little thing.

We separate to get a better chance of finding her or anyone else they think could potentially be trapped. "Katniss?" I call. "Katniss, baby, please." It's silent for a minute. _She's not here. You're not going to find her._ My mind is going to all of the worst possibilities, my heart is thudding, and tears are starting to cloud my vision when I hear the sweetest sound possible.

"...P-Peeta…?" It's so quiet and weak that at first I don't think it's real. "Peeta."

"Katniss?! Katniss?!" I'm jerking my head around frantically, trying to find her. Finally, my senses hone in on where the voice is coming from. There's a pile of debris over by the staircase and, as I move closer, I can make out her chestnut hair in a frayed braid.

I rush forward and kneel by her. She's buried from the waist down in debris and held down by a cross bar laying across her stomach. "Oh, Katniss." I stroke her face and shout over my shoulder. "Finnick! I found her, I need the lift equipment!"

She has one free hand which she uses to reach shakily out to me. I grasp it and pull it to my lips, releasing a shaky breath. "Peeta...I'm scared." A tear drips down the side of her face, creating a trail through the soot that covers her face and neck. "Am I gonna die?"

I immediately reassure her. "No, no baby. I'm going to get you out of here. I'm going to get you out of here and you're gonna be fine, yeah?" I wipe the soot off her beautiful face as best I can and stroke her cheek with my thumb.

"...okay, okay…" She starts to phase out, and that can't happen.

"No, no, no, have to stay awake, yeah. Stay with me, okay?" She nods slowly. I turn to Finnick and the other two who have started lifting debris off of her. "We gotta move, she's not gonna last too long." They nod and fire up the electric saw.

The sound startles Katniss and a whimper escapes her lips. She looks at me, her eyes wide and scared. Her eyes well up and the tears flow freely down her cheeks. "Peeta, please, I'm so scared." She chokes on a sob.

"I know, I know babygirl, but I'm here now. I've got you." I look up from her and lock eyes with Finnick and he nods. They have to work fast. I have to check her injuries. "Katniss, can you feel your legs?" I have to make sure that her spine hasn't been damaged.

"Mmhmm." Her eyes were heavy and it didn't look like she could hold on much longer.

"Finn, you almost there?" I ask.

"Yeah, last piece." He replies. He and the two others lift the crossbar off her body and set it down on the side. My eyes scan down her body and stop at her abdomen. I suck in a breath.

A large piece of debris is stuck in her side. Her shirt around the area is covered in blood. I look at the boys. "We've gotta get her out of here. We can't dislodge the debris otherwise she could bleed out." Without looking at them, I continue. "I'm bringing her down to an ambulance, you three sweep the rest of the area." I hear the sounds of their retreating footsteps, but don't pay any attention to it.

I take off my jacket and pick her up, laying her on the jacket and wrapping her in it. There are still some areas that aren't entirely put out. I hurry down the steps and outside. I rush out to one of the ambulances. When they see me coming, they pull out a gurney. I lay Katniss down on it. She reaches for my hand and I never let go of her. Not when they fit an oxygen mask over her face, not when they load her into the ambulance. I never let go.

"She has multiple fractures and contusions all around the body as well as a couple of burns. Now, Ms. Everdeen was very lucky. When the piece of debris pierced her side, it missed all of her vital organs. All of her injuries will heal and, with time, she will be back to normal." I slump forward in relief at the Doctor's words. She's going to be alright.

"Can I see her?" I ask him. He nods, but tells me that she won't wake up for a while due to the anesthesia.

When I enter her room, I take seat in the chair right next to her bed. She looks so small, weak, frail. She's pale and bandages cover her body. I take her hand and hold it between both of mine, leaning my head onto them. Eventually I doze off.

I wake some time later to a hand stroking my cheek. My hands clench and I realize I'm no longer holding Katniss' hand. Panicking, I quickly look up.

I startle when I see my girlfriend's beautiful silver eyes staring back at me. A soft smile graces her face and I immediately beam back.

"Oh, Katniss…" tears start to form in the corner of my eyes and she wipes them away with my thumb. "I'm so happy you're awake. God, babygirl you scared me so much…" My breathing is shaky so I just grab her hand and bring it to my lips.

"Oh, Peeta…" She tries to sit up, but gasps in pain and grabs her abdomen, falling back into her bed. Immediately I get up and stand by her side, looking her over concernedly.

"Baby, you broke four ribs, don't move. You could hurt yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm feeling it." She grunts painfully.

"I'd be pretty scared if you didn't, the ceiling fell on you." I tell her somberly. I have never been so scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose the love of my life. Suddenly and inexplicably, she smiles. Her eyes hold so much emotion and love. "What?" I ask her.

"You saved me." She let out a wet chuckle. "You saved my life. My hero."

I smiled at her. "I would do anything for you, my love." I lean down and kiss her softly.

"I love you, Peeta."

"I love you too, Katniss. More than anything."

 **A/N: If any of you want me to write a second part to this write it in the comments!**


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